Mayoral challenger Luke Coletti raised nearly three times as much as Pacific Grove Mayor Nick Smith in the final campaign finance reporting period before the Nov. 3 election.

Coletti reported raising $13,473 between Sept. 20 and Oct. 17, according to filings first reported by Monterey County NOW. Smith raised just under $5,400 in the same window, for a campaign total of $11,797.

Coletti also outspent Smith by a wide margin. He reported $16,858 in expenditures during the period, compared with Smith's $6,074. Coletti ended with just $200 in cash on hand and listed $13,285 in outstanding debts. Smith had $289 in cash. Neither candidate reported any loans, according to the filings.

Where the money went

Coletti spent more than $9,400 on mailers, over $620 on text ads from a Virginia-based company and more than $2,900 on newspaper ads in the Carmel Pine Cone and Monterey County Weekly. Smith spent about $1,300 on newspaper ads in both papers and just over $1,000 on signs.

The two candidates drew from different donor pools. Coletti's contributors in the latest period were Pacific Grove residents, all retired, with one giving $800. Former Councilmember Debby Beck, a real estate broker, donated $500 in the previous period.

Smith attracted a mix of working and retired donors. Former Councilmember Amy Tomlinson gave $500 in the latest period. In the prior window, Smith received support from Councilmember Tina Rau ($100), Councilmember Nicholas Mourlam ($200) and former Mayor Bill Peake ($400). He also drew organizational money: $790 from the Monterey Bay Action Committee, $800 from the Monterey Firefighters Association and $800 from Hare Construction.

At-large and District 3

For the at-large council seat, Councilmember Lori McDonnell reported raising $3,838 total and spending $2,226. She received $600 from the Democratic Women of Monterey County and $800 from the Monterey County New Progressives. Her opponent, James Ogle, has not filed any campaign finance reports.

In District 3, former Councilmember Susan Goldbeck had not filed a report for the Sept. 20–Oct. 17 period as of Oct. 26. In an earlier filing, she donated $3,200 to her own campaign. Competitor Tara Leweling raised $3,739 total and spent $3,567. Andrew Kubica, chair of the Pacific Grove Planning Commission, raised $2,284 and spent $2,366, with $2,933 in outstanding debts and an $800 loan to his own campaign.

District 1 challenger also leads

The challenger-over-incumbent pattern extends to District 1. Kevin Hanley, who previously served on the Auburn City Council including as mayor, reported raising $8,424 in the period for a campaign total of $11,432. He spent $5,588 and had $553 in cash.

Incumbent Councilmember Cynthia Garfield raised just under $2,500, bringing her total to a little over $5,000. She spent $1,384 and held more than $4,000 in cash. Her supporters included former Mayor Bill Kampe ($400) and the Democratic Women of Monterey County ($600).

Pacific Grove voters go to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 3.